Anne Woodward had her dream job. Working in TV information, she obtained a front-row seat to historical past. However at 46, a breast most cancers analysis made her shift her priorities. She retired early and made specializing in her well being her full-time job.
She defied the percentages and is amongst a rising variety of longtime stage 4 most cancers survivors.
“I am in yr 9 of a illness that has a median survival price of three years. So I have been very lucky that the therapies have labored for me,” Anne says.
A Decade of Perception for Stage 4 Most cancers Survivors
Anne at all times stored up together with her mammograms. So even her docs had been shocked when, in 2015, they discovered most cancers in her liver. The most cancers unfold there (metastasized) after beginning in her breast.
With metastatic breast most cancers, Anne is aware of there’s no treatment. However therapies have come far. She offers with fatigue, uncertainty, and plenty of physique scans, blood exams, and physician checkups. However she’s additionally had a very good life. And he or she’s gained loads of perception on dwelling with metastatic most cancers.
In her personal phrases, Anne shares 10 tips about the way to stay your finest life as a stage 4 most cancers survivor. She shares:
1. Dwell Close to an NCI-Designated Most cancers Middle
One of many issues that was extremely vital to us once we determined to retire within the mountains was healthcare, given my stage 4 most cancers analysis. And so we did some analysis. We checked out North Carolina and Virginia. We fell in love with the panorama of Virginia.
And we seemed up UVA Well being and realized that, on the time, it was the one complete most cancers heart designated by the Nationwide Most cancers Institute (NCI). We knew UVA Well being might supply the identical high-quality healthcare that we had in a giant metropolis like Atlanta.
An NCI heart has so many benefits due to the analysis and scientific trials it provides. I haven’t wanted to enroll in a scientific trial but, however I understand how vital one is that if the usual care stops working for me.
We did our analysis once we determined to maneuver and settled on UVA Well being, which has been large. We could not be happier with my care.
2. Make Well being Your Precedence as a Stage 4 Most cancers Survivor
I spent 27 years with CNN in Atlanta. I had about 400 staff and lined 8 cities. I used to be on the manufacturing facet. So I obtained to play with expertise and software program and do a lot of enjoyable issues, whereas getting a entrance row seat to historical past. It was superb.
However then I left that profession 2 years after my stage 4 most cancers analysis. It simply obtained to be an excessive amount of. And I could not do well being and a job on the identical time.
I had loads of joint ache and fatigue initially. However principally, it was the fatigue and the stress of my job. It simply was overwhelming when it comes to with the ability to operate.
Once I was working, I put all of my power into work. And I’d simply collapse after I got here dwelling at evening. I had no power for the remainder of my life.
3. Know That Making Adjustments Isn’t Giving In to Most cancers
Once I was recognized, my foremost objective in chemotherapy was to get again to work. And attempt to be the person who I used to be. And so I used to be very motivated to get again to work. And I labored actually laborious. I attempted to show to everyone that the most cancers wasn’t profitable.
However after I did a fly-fishing retreat with different stage 4 most cancers sufferers, I noticed at that second that my life might be completely different. I might have a very good life. I might change my life. To surrender my profession, wasn’t giving up. It was altering the information of my scenario.
And in order that retreat was my pinnacle second. It is the place all of it snapped into place, that it is OK to let go. It is OK to do one thing completely different. Simply since you aren’t working, you’ll be able to have a very good life.
4. Discover a Specialist in Your Kind of Most cancers
Once we determined to maneuver to Charlottesville and the UVA Well being space, I went on certainly one of my Fb help teams for most cancers and requested for suggestions. Christiana Brenin’s identify popped proper up. She’s an oncologist at UVA Well being Breast Care Middle. Dr. Brenin focuses on breast most cancers. That is all she does. She is spot on. She’s so educated. It is superb.
So I had a physician earlier than I had purchased a home. We had all of the healthcare in line earlier than we ever left Atlanta.
5. Keep Primarily based in Information, Not Concern
All through my complete analysis and therapy for an aggressive kind of HER2-negative breast most cancers, my husband and I’ve been very fact-based. We have tried to not act on the worry. We attempt to act on the information.
I believed the primary time I had a development (therapy stopped retaining the most cancers from rising), it could really feel like a Mack truck hitting me once more like after I was first recognized.
However my husband and I had been in a position to transfer from therapy to therapy and never get freaked out by staying fact-based. We thought, ‘One therapy labored for six years. The subsequent one will work once more.’ So the most cancers progressions haven’t been as scary as I believed they had been going to be.
With each of my progressions, Dr. Brenin is like, OK, ‘You have had a development. This is what is going on on. This is the therapy we’re going to go to.’ There was no hesitation from her. Once I walked into the workplace, she had a plan. And in order that gave us loads of confidence with every development. She’s been very pragmatic however very constructive.
6. Some Days, Do Nothing
I’m on my third line of therapy. And I nonetheless undergo from a substantial amount of fatigue. And now I’ve what’s known as hand and foot syndrome (a facet impact of therapy). This impacts your arms and your toes and the soles and palms of your arms. And it may be fairly painful. I’ve had bleeding. And I’ve misplaced a few of my dexterity.
However general, I can handle all the things as a result of I am not working. So it provides me time. If I’ve a day after I’m actually fatigued, I simply do not do something. I’ve modified my life in order that I can handle my unwanted effects.
7. Discover a Staff to Assist You Handle Aspect Results
One of many nice issues in regards to the crew at UVA Well being is that they’ve actually helped me by way of the unwanted effects of my hand and foot syndrome. They’re so educated and so useful in attempting to make it not as dangerous because it might be. They really helpful I take advantage of loads of heavy-duty lotion — not simply run-of-the-mill lotion. However as an alternative, one thing like gardener’s cream that is actually thick.
I additionally use an arthritis painkiller lotion. Then I simply put on gloves and socks and hold them as lathered as I can.
Generally with unwanted effects, one of many methods to handle them is altering the dose of your treatment. This is not ultimate, however when it is impacting your high quality of life, that is generally the very best choice.
So I’ve had 2 dose reductions on the drug I am on proper now as a result of I had actually dangerous diarrhea and vomiting on the highest dose. A dose discount solved it. After which we did a dose discount for my bleeding and cracked arms. That additionally helped.
8. Journey at a Leisurely Tempo
A yr after we got here to Virginia, I had a development. It was June 2022, so I moved to a different tablet, a CDK inhibitor. That labored effectively for a yr, after which I had one other development. The therapy I am on now could be an oral chemotherapy.
One among my nurses stated to me as soon as, ‘Capsules journey, so you are not tied down, so long as you feel OK’. Feeling OK is a day-by-day factor. I do wish to journey. That is certainly one of my joys. So we’re fortunate that there is loads of therapies for us which can be pill-based, that you do not have to go to an infusion room.
I’ve modified how I journey to handle the fatigue. I construct in a lot of relaxation time, constructing in days on the entrance or again of touring. And in the event you’re doing a time change, it’s vital to take time to get better. I do not do almost as a lot as I used to after I journey.
Going through Most cancers?
See what our NCI-designated Complete Most cancers Middle means for you.
9. Search Consolation in Nature
We have now 100 acres on the facet of a mountain close to Wintergreen. It has been beautiful. Nature has been an actual a part of my therapy and therapeutic. It simply lowers my stress. Proper after I obtained recognized, we spent loads of time tenting and leaving the town to be out in nature.
And so once we seemed for a spot to retire, it was vital to us to be someplace that was extra pure. We have now a lot of wildlife on our property. We have now tons of acres of forest. Our canine loves it. And my husband simply retired. So we’re planning all types of tenting journeys.
10. Search Assist From Others With Metastatic Most cancers
Proper after my analysis, I reached out to the American Most cancers Society. It has a program known as Attain to Restoration, the place they pair you with anyone who has the identical illness. That was extremely useful, simply to speak to anyone who was dwelling with metastatic most cancers.
Once I got here to UVA Well being, I volunteered with their Most cancers Peer Assist Program. I’ve talked to a handful of individuals with metastatic most cancers.
Lots of people simply wish to discuss to anyone who’s going by way of having a stage 4 most cancers analysis. They wish to discuss to anyone who’s lived that have, is surviving that have.
However loads of time, it is about unwanted effects. Tips on how to handle unwanted effects, the psychological and the bodily. There are loads of psychological unwanted effects to this illness. It is a very troublesome factor to get your head round.
Some individuals simply wish to discuss one time. With one girl, I hear from her each couple of months when she’s coping with a change. However most significantly, individuals need hope. Individuals wish to know that you may stay a very good life as a stage 4 most cancers survivor.
